Hitachi Rail Adopts PTC PLM to Transform Global Product Development

NEEDHAM, Mass., Dec 10, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
PTC(R)
PTC, +0.33%
today announced that Hitachi, Ltd. Rail Systems has
selected the PTC
Global Product Development Solution based on proven PTC
Windchill(R) technology as its single enterprise platform
for global product development throughout its railway vehicle
engineering and manufacturing business. Hitachi, the only railway
systems integrator in Japan, designs, manufactures, and services railway
vehicles, traffic control and signal systems, and railway
facilities/equipment for railway companies. Hitachi's strategic
alignment around the PTC solution will help the company drive product
development innovation and success in an intensifying global competitive
landscape.

After being awarded a contract to deliver 600 railway cars and well over
two decades of maintenance support for the Intercity Express Program in
the U. K., Hitachi decided to build a production facility in the U.K. to
produce the vehicles locally. Hitachi recognized that it needed a
world-class PLM solution that would provide a unified, consistent view
of all product data to meet its innovation and quality goals for the new
center. Additionally, the limited availability of external resources
with traditional Japanese craftsmanship skills to support development of
its custom-ordered railway vehicles elevated Hitachi's need to automate
its product development processes and enhance its production environment.

Further, because its engineering team works in a multi-CAD environment
using both 2D and 3D CAD tools, Hitachi needed a system with the
flexibility and broad capabilities to manage heterogeneous CAD data. The
company also required the capability to manage the engineering bill of
materials (eBOM) and the manufacturing bill of materials (mBOM).

The implementation of the PTC solution has increased Hitachi's
visibility into daily workload on the shop floor by improving the
accuracy of Bill of Material (BOM) information. As such, part inventory
levels and component and materials procurement processes have been
optimized. The Hitachi manufacturing team is now able to create more
accurate plans, and has reduced its production lead-time, from component
order through car assembly completion, by 20%. "PTC Windchill helps
companies better manage their bills of materials and product
configuration as well as heterogeneous CAD data. In addition, the
product provides intelligent workflow that automates mundane tasks
within and across development sites, ensuring the highest levels of
quality and consistency, and driving continuous product and process
innovation," stated Peter Bilello, president, CIMdata.

Hitachi has expanded its use of the PTC solution to manage multiple
configurations of its railway cars, enabling the company to flexibly
support customer requirements. The company expects that the workload of
its design engineers also will be substantially reduced as adoption of
the PTC solution further accelerates. In addition, Hitachi plans to
improve the accuracy of its manufacturing process and cost management by
placing the scalable PTC solution at the center of the UK Intercity
Express Program.

"We needed a system that would help us enhance our production
environment and, at the same time, enable us to automate production
processes and be less reliant on human resources," said Takashi
Kadohiro, Manager, Business Reforms Promotion Department, Kasado Works,
Hitachi Rail Systems. "As the core of our product development platform,
the PTC Global Product Development Solution has allowed us to manage all
of our CAD data in a single repository, improving our workflow and
process automation."

"Process improvement is pivotal to supporting product development and
services, and ultimately to helping drive business success," said Mark
Hodges, Divisional General Manager, PLM Segment, PTC. "We are pleased to
expand our relationship with Hitachi to support innovation, drive
efficiencies throughout its product development processes and ultimately
increase its competitive advantage."

Additional Resources:

--
PTC's
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Resource Center

--
PTC's
Global Product Development Resource Page

--
PTC's
Manufacturing Process Management Solution Page

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About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. , headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading
global electronics company with approximately 326,000 employees
worldwide. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2012 (ended
March 31, 2013) totaled 9,041 billion yen ($96.1 billion). Hitachi is
focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which
includes infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication
systems, power systems, construction machinery, high functional material
& components, automotive systems and others. For more information on
Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

About PTC

PTC
PTC, +0.33%
enables manufacturers to achieve sustained product and
service advantage. The company's technology solutions transform the way
products are created and serviced across the entire product lifecycle -
from conception and design to sourcing and service. Founded in 1985, PTC
employs over 6,000 professionals serving more than 27,000 businesses in
rapidly-evolving, globally distributed manufacturing industries
worldwide. Get more information at www.ptc.com.

The announcement of a customer's selection, implementation, deployment
or adoption of PTC software is not necessarily indicative of the timing
or amount of revenue therefrom or of PTC's overall revenue for any
particular period.

PTC, the PTC logo, Product & Service Advantage and Windchill are
trademarks or registered trademarks of PTC Inc. or its subsidiaries in
the United States and other countries.

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